City receives $25,000 grant

Money will be used for parkway project in Alberta

Published: Friday, January 18, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 11:30 p.m.

TUSCALOOSA | Mayor Walt Maddox on Thursday announced that Tuscaloosa has been given $25,000 for the Alberta Parkway recovery and development project.

Maddox made the announcement from Washington, D.C., via his Twitter account, @WalterMaddox (or www.twitter.com/WalterMaddox ), at about 1 p.m. from this year’s winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

“Tuscaloosa just awarded a $25,000 grant by #uscm2013 for the Alberta Parkway recovery project,” the tweet said. “Thank you US Conference of Mayors!”

The grant is the GRO1000 Gardens and Green Spaces Grant Award, which is sponsored by Scotts Miracle-Gro. The grant includes a $15,000 cash award and $10,000 of in-kind product from Scotts Miracle-Gro.

The city plans to use the grant money in conjunction with other federal money to complete the Alberta Parkway Gardens, a community project along the City Walk that’s intended to be a focal point of revitalization, a recreation area for community children and a community-wide gardening space.

The green space will be along the proposed Alberta Parkway and will encompass about 60,000 square feet of landscaping, sitting areas and community garden space.

“Alberta Parkway Gardens will help accomplish the city’s goal of a synergetic community working to achieve both a better and stronger foundation,” said Robin Edgeworth, director of recovery operations for the city of Tuscaloosa, in a news release announcing the grant.

The Alberta Parkway is a proposed landscaped thoroughfare that will connect Tuscaloosa’s Jaycee Park and Alberta Elementary School. Its development was part of the Tuscaloosa Forward Generational Master Plan adopted by the City Council in April.

Construction on the street has yet to begin, but property acquisition is under way.

The GRO1000 Garden and Green Space Grant Awards Program plans to bring 1,000 gardens and green spaces to communities across the United States, officials said. As part of the program, a local dedication event will be held in March or June.